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The Real Living Wage, external is an unofficial hourly rate of pay which is overseen by the Living Wage Foundation charity, who say it is set at a rate to meet the cost of living.
It increases every October.
Some firms choose to pay the Real Living Wage, but it is not mandatory.
According to the charity almost 500,000 employees working for nearly 17,000 firms receive the voluntary rate of pay.
In October 2026, the foundation said the UK rate would increase by 4.8% to £14.10 an hour, while the London Living Wage for workers in the capital would go up by 4.4% to £15.45.
The Living Wage Foundation says the rate is worth over £2,700 more per year than the legal minimum wage in the UK, and over £5,300 more in London.
